The Truth of Alchemy: Another world
by Rishqva
Summary: The Gate is fake, the Homunculus did trick them. The fight is not about the stone, it's about the Truth, and Ed has to travel far to find a way to solve this. Takes of from manga chap. 92. Uses characters from the old anime to. Full summary inside.
1. Chapter 1

**Spoilers:** The whole manga (eventually) and the old anime + movie.

This fic will follow the manga. Everything up until cap. 92 'The two Philosophers' has happened, after that I will start tweaking. If things that are revealed in the new chapters fit my story I will keep them, if they doesn't I will change them. I will borrow characters and ideas from the old anime but tweak and twist them as I want.

**Summary:**

"The gate is fake, but the Truth behind it is real. Don't you understand Al? The Homunculus tricked us all this time. It created the gate and put that truth guy as gatekeeper, and then it waited. Waited for an alchemist mad enough, desperate enough and skilful enough to open the gate and reach the Truth behind."

The promised day is here, the Homunculus called Father collects his human sacrifices. But the sacrifices are ready for battle and won't allow themselves to be used, unfortunately Fathers plans are more wide spread than any of them thought. In the end Ed finds himself to be the only one able to move, able to keep fighting, but he has no idea how he is going to turn this around! What he needs is time, time to separate the truth from the lies, time to find the Homunculus weak spot, time to rebuild his strength. Time he doesn't have. At least not in this world. But in another world...

**Disclaimer:** I do not own FMA. Period. And that goes for the rest of the chapters in this fic to since I probably will forget to put in this disclaimer thing again.

English is not my first language and I doesn't have a beta reader. All corrections are welcome.

Phu, that was the heavy stuff. Now to the fun part: start reading.

**The Truth of Alchemy: Another world**

**Cap 1.**

"_...You humans are pathetic, so clever, so brave and yet so stupid..."_

"_...Bastard! You disgusting _thing_! The creation of a philosophers stone was just a bonus!?..."_

"_...You need a soul, a soul of your own to reach the Truth..."_

"_...The path is opening for you, but I will use it..."_

_-/*\-_

There was a faint noise, or rather the opposite. A smothering silence cut out the sound of the busy city and under him the world rolled like the sea. The invisible wave of silence and disorder weakened and faded to nothing as it spread. Everything went back to normal.

_What the hell was that?_ Alfons Heidrich thought, staggering sideways to regain his balance. He immediately regret his choice if words, but the sensation had been surprisingly strong. He glanced up and down the street. Two blocks away an old woman looked back with a startled expression. Apparently Alfons wasn't the only one how had felt something.

Slowly it dawned on him that he somehow recognised the feeling. He looked up the street again, except the lady he was completely alone. Searching he turned around. The buildings gave a could and uninviting impression. Closed doors and staring windows, reflecting the grey sky. On his right there was an empty plot of land. Nothing but mud, grass and the smeared remnant of a hopscotch marking.

The wind made the dry grass sway and Alfons spot a flash of something bright red. Curious he stepped closer, rounding a pile of rubble. There was someone laying on the ground, face down. Most of the body was hidden under a long coat. It was torn, streaked with mud and had several burn marks. Not that it was uncommon, Londons poorest did wear their clothes until they fell to pieces, but this coat was red. Deep rich red, and the long strands of hair the wind played with gleamed as pure gold, making the figure glow like the only coloured person in a sepia picture.

Alfons gasped and cowered the distance in three long strides. _That feeling, and those colours... could it be..._ He knelt down beside the figure, reached out and carefully turned him over. The young man panted slowly, as if he had tried to regain his breath for some time. His eyes slid open, revealing a golden colour Alfons only seen once before. Those eyes, that face. Alfons had several reasons to never forget them.

"Ed... Edward?", he asked not sure what to expect. The golden eyes come to focus on his face and after a long blank stare there was a light of recognition.

"...yea..." The answer was hardly more than a grunt. "Yea...", he repeated more thoughtful and some tension seemed to drain away. But then his gaze turned to scenes in an unknown distance before it disappeared behind heavy eyelids as he gave in to exhaustion.

_-/*\-_

_A slamming door, distant ruckus. _

"_So Miss Bell was right? You have someone up there!" _

"_Yes uncle but he..."_

"_You can't just drag some stranger home! Alfons, what were you thinking?!"_

"_He was wounded!"_

"_Then he should be in the hospital!"_

"_Calm down! You miss the point! He isn't some stranger. Dammit, four years ago he saved my life!"_

"_What?!"_

"_..."_

"_OK, saved your life, would you care to explain?"_

"_Yes uncle. I have tried to explain ever since you barged in trough the door, but whatever Miss Bell told you, it made you to upset to listen"_

"_Ah, you're right. Right... but your explanation better be good!"_

"_It is, or at least it's strange enough to keep you interested uncle."_

"_Alfons, quit staling and just tell me what this is all about."_

"_Well... I think it's easier if you just come look for yourself." The voices drew closer. "What exactly was it Miss Bell told you by the way?"_

"_She said you had lost it this time, that you had brought home some passed out beggar, claiming that he was your cousin and ordered her to get hold of a doctor. She said that you refused to take him to the hospital or bring just any doctor over here and ended up having Dr Marcin to leave his practise and come all the way here."_

"_Oh lord, that woman... I said that he _looked_ like my cousin, not that he _was_ my cousin." There was a slight creak from the door. "Dr Marcin, have you found out something new?"_

"_No, Alfons. I've done what I can. Now we just have to wait."_

"_Ah, Marcin I'm sorry if my nephew have caused you trouble."_

"_Don't worry Heidrich, Alfons claims that this boy is a friend of his and I don't mind helping friends of my friends. Besides, now that I have had a look at him I won't leave this room until he comes around and can explain a few things."_

"_Yes, Alfons said he looks like..."_

"_I think you will find his face interesting" Quick footsteps as someone approached the bed. A gasp of surprise, and then a long silence._

"_Merciful Lord in heaven, he looks just like Edmund! Just like him... but younger..."_

"_I didn't see your sisters boy that many times before he went out to the war, but I would say that this boy could be passed of as his twin"_

"_Yes... He looks like him... but it isn't Edmund... no, that can't be."_

"_No uncle, he isn't Edmund. This is Edward. I've told you about him before, but I doubt you did believe me at the time. No one else did."_

"_I think your uncle and I will have you to repeat that story again. This is quite a mystery. Right Heidrich?"_

"_Yes, his face..."_

"_Oh, it isn't his face that fascinates me, however peculiar it is. Take a look at his right arm and you will see why I'm ready to camp in this armchair until I get my answers."_

"_His right arm... is something wrong with__ it? I can't see... Wah!? Metal!?"_

"_Yes, and his left leg to." There was a busy silence and someone tugged the blanket. _

"_He... He have lost his arm and leg? God, that's screwed down in his ribs!" Shocked breaths and the blanket was pulled back. "It is some kind of prosthesis? Artificial limbs?"_

"_Probably, but they are far more complicated than anything I ever have heard someone even dream of. He can move them just like real limbs. In fact, when I treated his wounds he did move his right arm fare more than his left, most likely since it hurt less."_

"_That's... unbelievable."_

"_It's true uncle, you wouldn't notice that his arm and leg isn't real if you didn't see them. I didn't."_

"_If you say so, but what's wrong with__ him anyway?" _

"_Ha! What isn't! He's all beaten up. Cuts and bruises all over his body, and some nasty scars that seems quite new. But there are no broken bones, no serious wounds and no internal bleeding. He isn't dehydrated nor has he a fever and as far as I know he doesn't suffer from any illnesses. If I'd have to guess why he doesn't wake up I'd say that he is completely exhausted." _

"_Exhausted?" _

"_Yes, worn down, tired to the bones. He have been sucked dry of all energy and the best medicine for this is simply to let him rest."_

"_I trust your judgement in this Marcin"_

"_You better do! What's the reason to call a doctor if you doesn't trust him to do his job?" _

"_Right, right. But now, Alfons you'd better tell us everything. How do you know that boy? Exactly how and why did he end up here?" The voices drew away as the men left the room. Alfons answer was lost as the trio shut the door and went downstairs. _

Yes, exactly how and why _did_ he end up here? Ed tried to bring order to his memories. Some things was still a bit fuzzy but the things he _did_ remember... it was quite a story.

__-/*\-__

**AN:** cliché, cliché, Ed found wounded and unconscious, I know it is cliché but there is a reason why things like that are cliché; it's bloody effective! Sorry for the short chapter, but this is sort of an introduction before things really gets going.

And I really likes Dr. Marcin. I did get lots of inspiration for him, but then I figured that he was a little over the top, but _then_ I realised that I write a fic for the manga that features Armstrong(!) and realised that no happy, eccentric, father to six kids, Italian, doctor OC I write will be more over the top than the canon.


	2. Chapter 2

Here are the next chapter, not much more to say, except a big thanks to knguy2, my only reviewer. Wow, someone are actually reeding this, that's nice, and most of his/her questions will hopefully be answered in the next chapter.

_-/*\-_

**Chapter 2.**

In the endless witheness there was only one thing to focus on. Five people standing, or in two cases sitting, in the corners of a large pentagon. Behind each of them a huge gate hovered, but in the middle of the pentagon there was an even bigger gate. Someone, or some_thing_ stood in front of that gate. It wasn't human although it had a humanoid shape. It was a black void in a human form, hundreds of staring eyes and grinning mouths swirled over its surface. The Homunculus.

"And now you think you have stopped me", the Homunculus said, "You humans are pathetic, so clever, so brave and yet so stupid", it continued with its emotionless voice.

"We _have_ stopped you." Hoenheim swayed slightly but managed to keep standing and his voice was firm, "The inverted transmutation circle did drain you of all the trapped souls that made up your philosophers stone and spread them over the country. The souls of Xerxes will finally find peace."

"Find peace? Another foolish human belief with no value or impact at the world, but I guess it is important for you Hoenheim. You are just as foolish as the other", the Homunculus did sound calm. Its lack of emotion was unnerving.

Ed cursed under his breath, it was impossible to read the creature but he had a nagging feeling it had something up its sleeve. He stole a quick glance over at Al and couldn't stop a shiver of happiness that fluttered like a butterfly in his stomach._ Alphonse was back in his body._

The Homunculus had harshly showed Al's soul back in the body since a soul bound to a piece of metal would be to fragile to stand the strain of the transmutation, and Ed had at least got _one_ thing less to worry about. _Now I just have to find a way to get him back through the gate... _Ed smiled grimly, _yea, right. Like that would happen._ This little detail with an emotionless manipulative madly strong monster that kept them prison in a place he wasn't sure really existed in common sense had to be solved first.

"Maybe you are right, but it is one of the things that makes humans human", Hoenheim didn't let the Homunculus provoke him, "But regardless of what happens with the souls, your source of power is gone and the souls that I placed in the circles crests will linger there and prevent you or anyone else from reversing the transmutation circle again."

"Correct, you have prevented me from harvesting the souls of Amestris", the Homunculus didn't seem alarmed, "It's surprising and better than I had expected. The bravery and drive of humans like you is truly amazing, but then again, that's why you are the tools I need to reach the Truth."

_The Truth._ Ed felt like he froze to ice. The lose ends suddenly connected, questions he hadn't been fully aware of got answered but he didn't like the answer that loomed in his mind, didn't like it at all. Next to him Izumi had the same insight written in her face and Al gasped from the ground, suddenly trying to get back on his feet. Hoenheim didn't show anything, but Ed had a feeling that he tried to think as fast as possible. Mustang on the other hand didn't react. Anger, exhaustion and confusion was all that had been hovering around him since the transmutations powerdrain had forced him down on his knees.

_The Colonel have newer seen the Truth, he doesn't know what it is_, Ed's thoughts flashed the insight in his mind, _This isn't good. The gate, the stone, the Truth, we have got it all wrong._ Then the consequences of it hit him.

"BASTARD! You disgusting THING! The creation of a philosophers stone was just a bonus!?"

Alphonse watched as his brother lost his temper and struggled with the invisible force that kept them from leaving the pentagons corners. Usually he would have tried to calm his brother, but not this time, because this time his brother was right. Al's mind had worked it out all on it's own, just like Brother and Teacher. The knowledge had been there all the time, he just had to piece together the pieces. They _had_ to do something, but he was helpless. His body of flesh and blood was starved and weak in the first place, and then the inverted transmutation had taken what little strength that was left. Al couldn't escape the facts, he was weak as a newborn kitten and it took all his strength to just keep upright. But they had to _do_ something.

"The Truth, you want the Truth", Al heard his own voice speak but felt like he watched from a distance, he sounded so young, was it really his voice that calmly uttered those horrible words? "But you need a soul, a soul of your own to reach the Truth, and you doesn't have a soul", he continued while fear took his heart in a cold grip. _If that thing gets to the Truth..._ Panic almost got the better of him when he realised just how desperate the situation was. _Brother, this is too much... _

The Homunculus stared down at him with hundreds of eyes. "You figured it out? So you really did see the Truth. Excellent, this is excellent", the Homuncules turned to face the gate in the centre of the pentagon, "I doesn't have a soul, but yours are enough."

Al couldn't take his eyes from the gigantic gate, it drew his gaze in with hypnotizing strength and something in his mind pulled at the gate. Around him the other stared just like him, even Ed stopped with his struggle. _No! We shouldn't do this, not now!_ Al tried to look away but couldn't. A spark of alchemic light crept around the lines of the pentagon, uniting the five alchemists, and with unnerving silence the gate slowly swung open. Black hands reached from the inside, a huge eye stared and meeting its gaze was like looking down in the underworld. Then the eye closed.

Surprised Al saw how the black hands was pulled aside like a curtain. Behind them, in the centre of the gate was something else, a different kind of blackness. Like the endless depths of the night sky it stretched out in infinity and inside bands of colour waved, disintegrated to fluttering images and reassembled in an endless dance. Alphonse knew what it was. _The Truth._

"The path is opening for you, but I will use it. Five humans with the knowledge and strength to reach the Truth, together you have open the gate wide enough to let me trough", the Homunculus said and moved towards the big gate.

Suddenly the gate was wide open and the alchemic reaction died out. The five humans realised it at the same time; the force that had nailed them to the spot was gone, they could move again. Izumi took a step forward and clapped her hands, but before she could do anything a gatekeeper that had her silhouette appeared behind her. The white non-human creature touched its stomach. With a surprised gagging noise Izumi grabbed her stomach and began to spew up blood. Her body trembled and twitched. The gatekeeper walked up and touched her. That single touch appeared to drain all her power and she fell to her knees before even they gave in.

"Teacher!", Al's desperate cry was cut short when his gatekeeper appeared, touched his struggling body and drained his last strength. Hoenheim had barely time to move at all before his whole body froze and his gatekeeper easily could drain him. Mustang did a weak attempt to crawl forward before _his_ gatekeeper reached him. Ed was faster, and more impulsive. He was halfway to the open gate when the gatekeeper appeared and burning pain shoot trough his missing arm and leg. The sudden pain shocked the rest of his body that began twitching and losing strength. His right leg gave in and he was forced to kneel down on it, but he refused to go further. The automail did still work and he used his right arm to take some of the weight from the leg.

"I will get you!", Ed growled trough clenched jaws and glowered at the Homunculus while he tried to force his trembling body to cooperate.

"Foolish human, you can't fight the gatekeepers. You tried something humans can never do, you paid the price for your hubris and the gatekeepers have your toll. There is nothing you can do" the Homunculus stated and walked trough the gate.

"I have _learned_ from my mistakes! You smug spineless cowardly _creep_!", Ed shouted and tried to ignore the pain. It felt like someone cut his missing arm and leg with white-hot knifes. _Phantom pain_, he thought, _you have felt it before._ It was bad, but automail surgery was worse. Hell, automail _reattachment_ was worse. _I can take this, it's just pain._

"COME BACK HERE! I WILL RIPP YOU TO PIECES!", Ed howled and let his anger overrule the pain. He was furious, _everything_ had gone wrong and now that black creep that had started its life in a bloody _flask_ was about to reach the Truth. Was about to get what it needed to become this 'perfect being' that it had blathered about. And it had the nerve to take Ed's old mistake and stuff it down his throat. No way in_ hell_ he would allow that.

With a wordless roar Ed stood up again. From the corner of his eye he saw the movement behind him. His gatekeeper was reaching out to touch him, to drain his powers, _with his own bloody right arm!_ Ed's reflexes kicked in and he spun around, flared out with the automail arm. The punch sent the gatekeeper flying. It weighed close to nothing. _No more than an arm and a leg_, Ed thought but didn't ponder more about it.

The big gate was slowly beginning to close. Ed didn't stop to think, he had to stop the Homunculus. Completely ignoring the pain he rushed forward and leaped trough the gate, his eyes already locked on the disappearing shape of the Homunculus. _I will not allow this_, was the single thought that run trough his mind when he dived head first in to the strange space of the Truth.

Behind him the huge doors of the gate swung shut with a thunderous rumble.

_-/*\-_

**AN:** Sorry, sorry, I know I said that this chapter should be longer than the last but since I'm a quite slow writer I decided that I rather split the chap I planed in two than wait until my muse has struggled trough the second half. Besides, this was such a good cliff-hanger that I couldn't miss it. Oh, and if you are confused about the plot it will begin to make sense in the next chapter.

BTV, the Homunculus 'Father' is hopeless to write, I hate him/it but fortunately I won't have to write that much more of him in a loooong time, except for next chapter... But after that, bye, bye.


End file.
